Huayu: Traffic is king

Chapter 181 CCTV Report, Unstoppable Momentum

TikTok?

Gu Jingyi blinked, still reacting.

"You mean the overseas version of TikTok?"

"Yes, right now the most popular background music on TikTok is 'Butter.' Some Western music agencies have already expressed interest in signing you, such as Universal Music and Sony Music, who have both sent emails to your company."

Speaking of this, Lin Ze also felt proud.

Please, this is a "Billboard Hot 10" chart.

Before Gu Jingyi, even top K-pop artists like Zhang Yixing, Chris, and Lu Han, who came from EXO, had singles that were "Not in" on the "Hot 100." Even Chris's chart-topping hit "July" only made it onto the ITnues chart.

Chris couldn't buy a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 even if he wanted to!
This is the most authoritative and prestigious list in Europe and America.

The "Global 200" chart is a relatively easier list for top Asian celebrities to get on. However, for top Asian celebrities with no K-pop background to get on the "Billboard Hot 100" is as difficult as climbing to the sky.

Being from a K-pop background means she's incredibly popular in Southeast Asia and other regions frequented by "data workers."

Gu Jingyi was chosen not only because he has both K-pop activity background and popularity, but also because of the group of "Jingfei" fans in China who are both willing to spend money and fight.

In the original timeline, the single "Butter" debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and remained there for nine weeks.

It was the longest number one single of 2021, and its first-week digital album sales of 24.2 copies set a new Billboard record for the highest digital album sales.

Using this song in 2018 was like "using a sledgehammer to crack a nut."

Gu Jingyi was absolutely phenomenal. His digital single "Butter" surpassed 100 million yuan in sales on the QQ Music platform on its first day, setting a new record for the highest first-day sales for a digital single. It also garnered 62 million plays on its first day. Furthermore, it set a new record for the highest first-day streaming volume on the QQ Music platform, dominating both sales and streaming charts.

While its popularity extends beyond its home, the digital single "Butter" has also achieved remarkable success in the global music market.

Gu Jingyi's single "Butter" was released on Spotify, the world's largest music platform, a week after its initial release.

It broke the record with 1104.2335 stream views in a single day, surpassing Justin Bieber's record of 1097.7389 views for "Cold Water".

On the iTunes global charts, Butter still has a strong momentum a week after its peak.

From initially topping the list in 76 countries, it has now risen to the top spot in 97 countries, including the US, UK, Brazil, Russia, and New Zealand.

With over 80 copies sold on iTunes, after deducting Apple's share, Gu Jingyi received approximately $1.5 per copy.

He only signed a film and television contract with Huace, so the income from the music portion was naturally all Gu Jingyi's own.

As for IdolSeries, they only signed a contract for the "Milk Foam Forest" limited-time group, so their personal music activity income does not need to be shared with them.

So, $120 million isn't a huge income.

It's just the money from Gu Jingyi's endorsement; the revenue from music streaming isn't particularly high.

But is Gu Jingyi's achievement primarily about his music revenue? He's the first Chinese artist to achieve this by entering the Western music scene despite a trade deficit!
The central bank is overjoyed, especially with the "cold weather restriction order." In fact, there has always been a plan to support top domestic celebrities, and artists like TFboys and Wang Jiaer have already benefited from this.

Gu Jingyi was in the spotlight from the moment he appeared; he took off without even needing a push from the central government.

Isn't this achievement a testament to the confidence of a "cultural superpower"?
HuaCe has been notified that CCTV is currently broadcasting a special report on Gu Jingyi's "Butter".

Being able to appear on CCTV and the Spring Festival Gala is a source of great pride and honor for any Chinese person!
Gu Jingyi accepted it well; it wasn't like he hadn't been to such places before.

The "Centennial Journey" version of "The Sea of ​​Stars" was previously reported by CCTV, so this time it's just another medal added to the list.

It's just a fleeting moment of joy; I don't feel the same excitement I had the first time.

Lin Ze did the same; he calmly told Gu Jingyi the good news.

"Well, I see."

Gu Jingyi scrolled through his phone and nodded calmly.

"One more thing, TikTok hopes you can start the #Butter# challenge. Spread short videos like a virus and create more daily active users for TikTok."

"Oh, did they agree to my investment?"

Gu Jingyi's dark eyes churned, his emotions unreadable.

His single "Butter" was destined not to be a number one hit, as it lacked the support of a Western management company and the popularity he had built up before.

The best estimate is the "Billboard Hot 10".

At best, it might win some more streaming popularity awards and American Music Award nominations for Song of the Year.

What is Fu Yin thinking? Does he really think that Gu Jingyi cares about managing popularity on Western streaming platforms as much as BTS does?
Without any real benefits, they want to put aside filming and be busy with other things like this, who is considered the "number one Apop artist".

I'm practically craving peaches.

"I agreed, but not for initial public offering (IPO) shares."

"It's okay, TikTok has already been launched, how could I possibly get pre-IPO shares? Did they say what percentage of ownership they would give me?"

Gu Jingyi didn't even lift his eyelids; he wasn't disappointed with the result.

TikTok's future lies overseas, something that is causing headaches for the White House.

The "ban on TikTok" has even led to a large influx of overseas refugees onto Xiaohongshu.

By the way, Little Red Potato could also consider investing in it.

The next few years will be the era of self-media.

Social media platforms, represented by musical notes and Little Red Book (a popular Chinese short video platform), represent the new "traffic code."

"Could you also help me connect with Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book)? I remember they're just a newly emerging social media platform, right?"

Gu Jingyi raised his eyes and glanced at Lin Ze.

Lin Ze said somewhat helplessly, "I don't really recommend Xiaohongshu. This app only gained some popularity among show fans by inserting ads into 'Produce 101.' Tencent has a strategic partnership with Xiaohongshu. The members of Rocket Girls have KPI requirements for the number of posts they need to complete each month. Xiaohongshu is just a communication app; it doesn't offer online shopping or any other value-generating content. It's just going to be a flash in the pan, so there's no need to waste money investing in it."

“Jingyi, if you have extra money, you might as well buy a few more houses and some shops and make some fixed asset investments.”

Lin Ze spoke very sincerely; the suggestions he made to Gu Jingyi at this moment were all genuinely for Gu Jingyi's benefit.

If Gu Jingyi wasn't a reincarnated person, he would have truly believed it.

Seeing Lin Ze's strong opposition, Gu Jingyi didn't bring up the Little Red Potato matter again. He figured he'd rather have his father handle the investment negotiations.

Lin Ze was, after all, just an agent; his perspective on things and his business investment skills were not as good as those of Lao Gu, a senior securities partner.

In any case, Gu Jingyi has only used 20% of the money he has earned since entering the industry. He keeps the rest in his card and waits for his father to invest it for him.

The commercial value of top celebrities is unimaginable. Gu Jingyi's annual income this year, just from endorsements alone, is a testament to this. With 17 endorsements and 5 luxury endorsements calculated in US dollars, Gu Jingyi's after-tax annual income, after sharing revenue with Huace, exceeded 100 million yuan, easily achieving her "small goal."

The "salary cap" for the entertainment industry in 2018 has not yet been officially introduced and will not be officially implemented until 2019.

Gu Jingyi's salary for saving the day in "Ashes of Love" was tens of millions, and his basic salary for the movie "Brother Kuai" was over 2000 million plus over 4000 million in box office revenue sharing.

Another small goal.

In addition, the trendy brand "GoodGu" only has one flagship store in Shanghai.

All other sales are conducted online through "Tmall" and "Dewu", utilizing various channels.

This greatly reduced costs, both by increasing revenue and cutting expenses.

Each new model opens a pre-sale channel, easily recouping costs.

The "GoodGu" streetwear brand achieved sales of 53 million yuan on its first day of launch in early October, with the first batch of products selling out in just 17 minutes.

Original best-selling items such as "puffy shoes" and "fluffy dog ​​sweaters" were resold on Xianyu (a second-hand marketplace) at a markup of 5 times.

The initial victory has brought the trendy brand "Good Gu" into the view of more and more young people.

Like the "lemon yellow" sweatshirt worn by Gu Jingyi, it has become a "fashion item" thanks to the huge success of "Butter".

Within just one minute of going live, all 6000 items were sold out.

The sweatshirt has a simple design, with only the embroidered Nuna lettering on the cuffs.

The background features a chibi-style portrait of Gu Jingyi, and the design isn't particularly innovative.

At most, the design is better and the materials are better.

This hoodie, priced at 899 yuan, became an instant hit.

Coupled with the lyrics of "Nuna," the dream girls were so excited they couldn't wait to put it on.

Fans in both China and South Korea are snapping it up, and the price of this "lemon yellow sweatshirt" has skyrocketed to eight times its original value.

Gu Jingyi couldn't stand it any longer, so he had the store open more than 10 pre-sale batches to ensure that every fan could buy it without paying a premium.

Clothing is inherently a high-profit business, and he easily makes a "400% profit" on a price of 899. However, it's not a luxury brand, so of course he wouldn't expect fans to spend 7200 on a sweatshirt that costs just over 200 to produce.

Gu Jingyi is not like some celebrities who dare to sell polyester fiber robes for 988 yuan with just a logo on a pure white design.

He wasn't a once-popular celebrity who bought a jacket for over a thousand dollars with a ripped seam, and fans questioned why he got so angry that he argued with fans on Instagram.

GoodGu's designs are mostly online, and the materials used are mainly high-quality materials such as Xijiang long-staple cotton.

Gu Jingyi is truly dedicated to creating a trendy brand, extending its reach beyond just "fans."

You can probably see it if you pay attention, plus the phenomenal box office success of "GoodGu" also made "GoodGu" a hit.

Although Gu Jingyi's streetwear brand has only been online for about a month, it has already gained a good reputation among young people, much like Edison Chen's "Clot".

For celebrity-owned streetwear brands, success is achieved as long as they don't leave the impression of "exploiting consumers."

Brands like Lao Xue and Xiaobai are both showing signs of breaking into new markets.

Gu Jingyi's streetwear brand draws inspiration from beginners, launching it more than three years ahead of schedule.

His popularity far surpasses that of the white shoes; it's like a chasm.

Gu Jingyi had long anticipated that the "Good Gu" streetwear brand would be so successful.

Double Eleven is almost here, and if we make another push, we might just be able to incubate a "fashion IP".

In 2018, the impression of streetwear brands in China was probably limited to Aape and Boy London. At that time, the "I fashion" section was still full of designs that could be seen everywhere and popular items on Taobao.

The Douyin (TikTok) hashtag "Good Gu" derived from Gu Jingyi's nickname, "Good Gu's Outfits," has garnered a staggering 23 billion views.

He was the first man in the entire Chinese entertainment industry to get into the world of streetwear.

Seeing that Gu Jingyi was silent, Lin Ze assumed that he was in a bad mood and was trying to make amends.

"However, Jingyi, your streetwear brand is indeed doing very well. 'GoodGu' has directly popularized lemon yellow, making it this year's trending color."

“There are trending colors every year, and I just created this one in advance. Let’s make Klein Blue the main design for next year and lead a new trend.”

Gu Jingyi gently stroked the Chrome Hearts ring with his index finger and gave his answer.

So what if he's a little ambitious? He just wants to completely dominate the domestic streetwear market ahead of time.

If you had entered the market any later, it wouldn't have been as convenient as it is now.

Lin Ze came over to talk to Gu Jingyi about the CCTV report, and also mentioned that Guerlain's global brand ambassador would be officially announced at noon today.

Gu Jingyi nodded slightly and then immersed himself in studying the script again.

The entire film "Better Days" was shot in the mountain city, which is quaint and has many steep slopes.

This is more conducive to creating the atmosphere of the story of "Better Days" and telling this campus story that takes place during adolescence and is filled with emotional repression.

The story unfolds on the eve of the college entrance examination, and tells how a case of school bullying intertwines the fates of a boy and a girl.

The two people huddled together for warmth and support, becoming the adults they wanted to be.

Zhou Dongyu plays Chen Nian, whose family is broken. Her father is missing, and her mother makes a living by reselling substandard face masks, but the business is failing. Constantly harassed by debt collectors, she runs away alone.

Chen Nian was left alone in the old residential building, and her life was not easy.

Just because she witnessed a student jumping off a building, she covered her with her school uniform. Chen Nian then became the next target of bullying, with Wei Lai, a bad student played by Zhou Ye, setting her sights on her.

Chen Nian called Ju Zi for help, but was instead met with even greater retaliation from Wei Lai.

Not only was school life oppressive, but debt collectors were also frequently harassing the residents at their homes.

With everything going wrong and feeling utterly hopeless, Chen Nian could only grasp at her last straw: the college entrance examination.

She always believed that as long as she gritted her teeth and persevered through these forty-odd days, she would be free after getting into a good university.

Gu Jingyi plays Xiao Bei, a street thug who was abandoned by his parents at a young age and lives alone under an open bridge.

On the day Xiao Bei met Chen Nian, he was being brutally beaten by three street thugs.

From the moment Chen Nian chose to lend a helping hand, the story of the two teenagers came together.

Xiao Bei will escort Chen Nian to and from school and protect her for a month, until the end of the college entrance examination.

Chen Nian promised Xiao Bei that after he got into university, she would take him to Beijing to make money together.

But the good times didn't last. Xiao Bei failed to protect Chen Nian, and Chen Nian was humiliated, had nude photos taken of her, and then committed manslaughter...

In order to help Chen Nian get through this, Xiao Bei chose to take the blame.

After Chen Nian finished her college entrance exams, she learned that Xiao Bei was going to be sentenced to death, so she turned herself in.

The good university that was within reach became a pipe dream. In the end, they both got in.

The film ends years later, with Chen Nian now working as an English teacher at a tutoring center. She escorts students home after school to prevent them from being bullied.

Xiao Bei stood behind her, protecting Chen Nian as before.

It's a very depressing story. When Gu Jingyi saw the script, he felt it was more about describing South Koreans who are bound by "80s, kimchi, Samsung" for their entire lives.

After an afternoon of studying the script, the first scene of the film was shot.

Film shooting is not based on the final screening order, but rather the director progresses the films from easy to difficult in a cyclical manner according to their complexity.

After all, a movie's runtime is usually only about two hours, unlike a TV series that can be padded out to 60 episodes.

The story must be fast-paced, and the actors' acting skills must be highly demanding.

Today's scene is Chen Nian and Xiao Bei's encounter; of course, Gu Jingyi can't actually be beaten black and blue.

After the makeup artist's hard work, Gu Jingyi, with her special effects makeup done, came out.

This comeback was specially designed; the black wisps of hair covering his eyebrows were fixed at the back of his head by the makeup artist into a half-up ponytail bun with a hip-hop style.

This style was something Gu Jingyi had never tried before; it had a unique and roguish charm!
After Gu Jingyi came out, Zhou Ye looked at him with shining eyes.

"Jingyi, can we apply for a semi-permanent hairstyle for today?"

"What?" Gu Jingyi touched the back of his hair, feeling a little uncomfortable.

He always felt something was off, as if his demeanor had suddenly changed from aloof and refined to that of a wild rapper.

"You really are handsome. Your looks are incredibly attractive to naive girls."

Wearing a school uniform and with simple makeup, Zhou Dongyu also chimed in with a smile.

"No, I think this hairstyle looks a bit strange."

Gu Jingyi genuinely felt disgusted; he always felt that they resembled the kind of hooligans the older generation talked about.

Although Xiao Bei's character really is a hoodlum.

“Jingyi, you’ll definitely be the most stylish when you sing ‘The Throne’ with this look right now.”

Director Derek Tsang appeared out of nowhere, glanced at Gu Jingyi's hairstyle, and smiled. Zhou Ye grinned and chuckled, "It's true, he was handsome before, but he lacked a bit of wildness."

Gu Jingyi suppressed his inexplicable emotions and began making final preparations for the Shanghai Theatre Academy.

When everyone saw Gu Jingyi suddenly close his eyes, they all tacitly refrained from disturbing him as he was adjusting his state.

"3, 2, 1"

"Action!"

As the clapper sounded crisply, Gu Jingyi began the first take of the film.

Zhou Dongyu plays Chen Nian, who has just experienced bullying by Wei Lai at school. She calls Uncle Hat, but Wei Lai finds out and she suffers even more severe bullying.

All their encounters began here; the two met in the alley.

"beat!"

"Damn it, beat him up!"

Hurrying along with her schoolbag, Zhou Dongyu, feeling somewhat flustered and lost, heard a sudden burst of shouting and cursing from the depths of the alley. Memories of being bullied by Wei Lai at school resurfaced, and she instinctively shrank back, a sense of lingering fear washing over her.

"Switch to a close-up, give Xiao Gu a close-up shot."

Off-camera, director Derek Tsang stood outside the equipment, instructing his team to film in this manner.

Gu Jingyi was curled up on the ground, being viciously kicked by six or seven legs.

Even so, his eyes shone remarkably bright in the darkness.

He stubbornly craned his neck to look ahead, refusing to lower his head and utter a single word of weakness.

Chen Nian paused in her quickened steps, her reason telling her to leave quickly.

But Xiao Bei's glance triggered a pang of sadness, reminding her of how she was bullied by Wei Lai and her gang at school.

The teacher, spouting platitudes about morality, says things like, "The college entrance exam is almost here, why are you still joking?"; the classmates are indifferent; the sycophantic lackeys bully those below them; and Wei Lai, the seemingly innocent but actually ruthless and vicious perpetrator.

Despite trembling like a leaf, Chen Nian still managed to take her phone out of her pocket with shaky steps.

She wanted to save Xiao Bei, or rather, save the boy who bore a resemblance to herself.

"Hey... someone's being attacked... many people are attacking one person..."

"what--!"

Zhou Dongyu's voice sounded a little nervous at first, but she still stood up for justice.

Before she could finish calling the police, a rough arm suddenly grabbed her neck from behind and dragged her away like a tattered sack.

"Come here! Damn it, come here!"

"Brother! This schoolgirl has called the police!"

The gang leader spat, grabbed the man on the ground by the hair, and pulled him up sharply—

A face was thrust right in front of Chen Nian's eyes, its nose crooked, its eyes swollen shut, and dark red blood trickling from the corner of its mouth.

It ran down the corner of my mouth, smearing half my face.

It was filthy, miserable, and shocking!

"Cut!"

Behind the monitor, Derek Tsang frowned and spoke with some impatience.

"Extras, you need to be tough on Gu Jingyi. He's not a big star anymore; he's just that thug who fought with your boss's younger brother."

Derek Tsang's gaze swept across the faces of the extras, and he raised his hand to make a gesture in the air.

"Grab his hair, straight up. Twist it off the ground, with an authoritative and unyielding displeasure. Was that just to fool the audience? Go for it!"

Director Zeng's voice wasn't loud, but it pierced everyone's hearts like an ice pick.

The extra who had just grabbed Gu Jingyi's hair instantly lost his arrogance from the scene. He bowed and scraped, meekly saying, "Yes...yes, Director Zeng."

Derek Tsang glanced at Gu Jingyi again; once he got into work mode, he was a "tyrant on set." He was nothing like the gentle man who had teased Gu Jingyi earlier, although his voice was a little softer than when he was talking to the extras.

Yet he still carried an unquestionable air of authority. "Xiao Gu, are you alright? Your reactions in a bit need to be more realistic and more in line with the character. This is acting, not child's play."

Gu Jingyi, with his face still bearing the horrific results of special effects, pushed himself up from the ground. He shook his head, the bloodstains on his face swishing away: "It's alright, you were too kind just now. The director was right, be ruthless, be real, grab him in one go, don't hesitate."

"it is good"

The extra who played the thug listened attentively, but he was still very uneasy.

Although seniority is important in the Chinese entertainment industry, popularity has always been king.

In the entire crew, Zhou Dongyu may be an award-winning actress, but she stands out.

But everyone knows very well who will ultimately carry the box office of this movie.

Who is it that can debut in a movie and, together with two child stars, carry a billion-dollar box office?
Wherever Gu Jingyi appears in a film or television production, that production becomes a box office hit.

How could such a young, famous star be so easy to talk to...?

But the director's cold gaze made the extras feel a little scared.

Gu Jingyi seemed to understand his concerns and softened her tone to reassure him, "It's really okay, everything is for the sake of the film. From the moment we started filming, I was just Xiao Bei."

The extra didn't say anything, but when filming resumed, his grip was noticeably stronger.

Gu Jingyi's scalp tightened suddenly as his half-tied ponytail was forcefully lifted up.

His blood-stained face twitched reflexively, but he quickly suppressed it.

The expression on his face at that moment was so real, it was as if Xiao Bei had actually appeared.

"Cut!"

The director nodded in satisfaction. "Everyone did a good job. Take a five-minute break."

Gu Jingyi also got up briskly and went to watch the playback outside the monitor.

He stared at the realistic twitch of his hair being pulled on the screen and nodded in satisfaction.

"Xiao Gu, that's why we have to be real. No matter how realistic the pain is, it's just acting. The physical pain that comes from real suffering is something that no amount of acting skill can replicate. You have to get the audience into the story to tell a good story."

Derek Tsang had a pretty good impression of Gu Jingyi. He was initially displeased when he learned that the production team had ultimately cast such an outstanding young star.

He felt that Yi Yangqianxi's face was more down-to-earth, which would allow the audience to immerse themselves in the story more easily.

Gu Jingyi, on the other hand, makes people unable to help but stare at his face and overlook the core of the film the moment he appears.

Gu Jingyi is more suited to the decadent and glamorous "Tiny Times" than to a film that, while disguised as a youth film, deals with the theme of school bullying.

But Gu Jingyi's performance during the audition shattered his prejudice.

Derek Tsang believes that the industry's saying that "the young actor with the most potential to be a Best Actor among the new generation" is not just empty talk.

Gu Jingyi's micro-expressions were outstanding, and he handled emotions with great subtlety. Especially his expressive eyes, which seemed to tell a story, unconsciously reminded Zeng Guoxiang of Tony Leung.

As it turns out, choosing Gu Jingyi was absolutely the right decision.

He wasn't arrogant at all, and he really was just like the rumored "theatre fanatic".

Sure enough, as soon as the filming wrapped, he came over and graded his own work.

Derek Tsang also had the idea of ​​mentoring the younger generation. He offered some advice: "Actually, when the gang leader just pulled your hair up, besides being stubborn, you could have shown a bit more pathetic vulnerability after being humiliated. That sense of brokenness would definitely be the best in the hearts of many viewers."

“Okay, Director Zeng, I understand. Actually, I had thought of that too. But this character is a rough and uncouth person from the lower class, with a wildness about him. I was afraid of that sense of brokenness. I misunderstood it.”

Gu Jingyi couldn't help but chuckle as he recalled leaving "Da Ru," the director who was best at directing plays.

Actors do have their own ideas, and a sudden inspiration can either become a classic like Jiang Xin's portrayal of Consort Hua eating cucumbers, or it can lead to a misunderstanding of the character's essence, like Da Ru's "Cricket," resulting in being forever shamed.

"Better Days" is a film that Gu Jingyi has high hopes for, and his ambitions go beyond just getting a Best Actor nomination.

If things go well, that position might not be entirely impossible...

This film was Yi Yangqianxi's big-screen debut, and he swept all the Best Newcomer awards that year with his role as "Xiao Bei".

There's an unwritten rule in the industry that a Best Actor award and a newcomer can never be the same person.

Gu Jingyi's debut work was "Take My Brother Away", not "Better Days".

If things go smoothly, he might win a less prestigious award. In recent years, popular actors have been a major factor in awarding Best Actor titles, so it's not out of the question…

With this in mind, Gu Jingyi would never let his own uncontrolled emotions get mixed up with it.

Too much of a good thing can be bad; he sought stability.

"Haha, you should trust your intuition."

Director Zeng laughed heartily, and Gu Jingyi then asked, "Director, can we reshoot this scene? After all, it's the character's entrance, and I don't want to leave any regrets."

"sure"

Director Zeng would never refuse Gu Jingyi's pursuit of perfection, and it wasn't a scene that required a long time to set up or burn through a lot of money.

Actors strive for perfection, so of course he couldn't be happier.

After a brief adjustment, filming resumed.

When Gu Jingyi was once again lifted by the hair like a garbage bag by the gang leader, his face showed not only stubbornness but also resentment at being humiliated.

His intense emotions were conveyed to everyone through his eyes.

Director Zeng was very satisfied and did not call a halt.

He could clearly see that Zhou Dongyu had also been inspired by Gu Jingyi to perform at a better level.

In a single, continuous shot, Chen Nian, whose backpack and money had been stolen, was shoved to the ground like trash. The thugs laughed and joked, using her and Xiao Bei as objects of their amusement.

"Oh! I get it now!"

"This girl's taken a liking to this mad dog? She thinks he's handsome and wants to help him?"

"Alright! Then reward her with a kiss on this mad dog! A kiss!"

The gang leader grinned maliciously, grabbed Gu Jingyi by the neck again, lifted his blood-stained face, and forced him toward Chen Nian.

"Kiss him! Kiss him! Haha!"

"Are you deaf? Hurry up and kiss me!"

"You fucking want to watch him die, don't you?!"

Seeing that Xiao Bei, who wasn't inherently bad, resisted, one of the thugs kicked Gu Jingyi, who was curled up.

Other thugs followed suit and started beating Gu Jingyi.

Kick after kick came down, though the force was restrained, it was still aimed at the head, and Gu Jingyi groaned, "Ugh!"

A dull pain in his temple made him involuntarily let out a sound. The muscles in his face also twisted uncontrollably, as if a corner of a mask he was trying so hard to bear had been lifted.

That moment was so vivid, it splashed into Zhou Dongyu's eyes like a spark.

As she watched Gu Jingyi being truly pulled by the hair, strangled, and kicked, the humiliation of being bullied and her pity for Xiao Bei could no longer be suppressed, and her eyes instantly filled with tears.

Her eyes were brimming with tears, but she bit her lip tightly, refusing to let them fall.

Gu Jingyi's character, Xiao Bei, is once again being strangled and having his head lifted. His ravaged face is no longer as handsome as before.

His face was flushed, contorted with the pain of oxygen deprivation. Blood trickled down his nose, visible beneath the chaotic scene.

The eyes that met hers were defiant and unyielding.

Like a wolf cub driven to the brink, it keeps its eyes fixed on the world no matter where it is.

Zhou Dongyu's heart skipped a beat; she'd actually been overshadowed by a popular actor...

"Cut!"

After the scene was filmed, the director watched it on the monitor before reciting the beautiful note.

Gu Jingyi was still lying on the ground, savoring the sudden surge of resentment in his heart.

He was genuinely affected by the character's emotions, and in a daze, a figure lunged at him.

"Oh, Jingyi, are you alright? Why aren't you getting up? Are you feeling unwell...?"

With a sob in her voice, Zhou Ye cupped Gu Jingyi's face in her hands and carefully examined it for any abnormalities.

Gu Jingyi looked at her, tears streaming down her face, and was still trying to comfort her.

Some faded memories resurface like dusty old photographs, seemingly from a very, very long time ago. Zhou Ye experienced this after getting into fights when she was a child.

The high wall that had been built in his heart for so many years, built up by their long separation, crumbled under Zhou Ye's onslaught of tears.

That long-standing estrangement is gradually dissipating.

Gu Jingyi reached out and ruffled Zhou Ye's hair. "I'm fine, don't make a fuss."

"puff"

Zhou Ye burst out laughing, just like back then.

Time flies when the crew is filming.

Soon it arrived at the day of CCTV's special report, and a reporter was on-site in Times Square, New York. The music video for "Butter" was playing on a large screen, and many young people were humming along.

Soon the director switched the camera to the live broadcast studio, where the host introduced the song with a natural and generous demeanor: "On October 23rd local time, a week after the release of Chinese singer Gu Jingyi's English single 'Butter,' the song remains stable. With its retro disco style and innovative fusion, it has sparked a 'Chinese trend storm' around the world."

"The success of 'Butter' confirms a new paradigm for Chinese culture to go global—telling stories of Eastern aesthetics in a global language. Its lyrics, 'Smooth like the silk road,' have been included in business school textbooks, highlighting the depth of dialogue between civilizations in the new era."

The feature report, which was just over a minute long, was edited by Jingfei and posted on Weibo.

"Those who follow Gu Jingyi are truly lucky. My mom thought I just wanted to see the news."

"Now, Emperor Jing's title is truly well-deserved."

Fans held team-building activities in the super topic and also promoted the content on various short video platforms.

The trending topic started at number five and gradually gained momentum to become number one.

At the height of the hype, our group reposted the message with the caption, "Cultural confidence is not about working behind closed doors, but about letting the silk ribbons of the Dunhuang flying apsaras entangle the microphone on the bulletin board!"

YG
When Fashion Weekly included Gu Jingyi's "Butter" in its Top 5 Best of the Week, Yang Hyun-suk could no longer sit still.

A heavy ashtray crashed down at the feet of the planning department head, scattering shards everywhere.

"Damn it, you bunch of bastards! Why didn't the planning team let Gu Jingyi debut with Winner in the first place? Were they out of their minds?"

The minister remained silent, too terrified to utter a word.

"Go and call those Kai guys from IKON over. If they still can't make it back next time, they should just stay in Japan and not come back to Korea."

"Yes, President."

Just as the door was about to close, Yang Hyun-suk suddenly spoke up: "Wait, tell Ji-soo to come over too."

(End of this chapter)